That's What Friends Are For
by Nintendo Nut1
Summary: Link slips into a coma while trying to protect Fox. Now Fox feels guilty of what happened to his friend.
1. A Fight That Gains Nothing in Return

A/N: Hey. This is my first crack at angst, so don't flame me.  
  
Link: You flame her and you'll receive the consequences!  
  
Oh, and somehow I got talked into letting Link and Fox narrate.  
  
Fox: Yep! Here comes the first chapter! Enjoy!  
  
That's What Friends Are For: Chapter 1: A Fight That Gains Nothing in Return  
  
"You've got to be joking, Fox."  
  
"Seriously, I really honestly think I can take them!"  
  
"Together? In the same match?"  
  
"It's worth a shot."  
  
"I. . . I. . . don't know what to say. . . I mean, there's no way for me to stop you, but I just can't help but worry. . ."  
  
"You don't need to worry, Link. You've been helping me train all month. There's no reason I can't have some sort of challenge."  
  
"You're right. I'm sorry. . ."  
  
"Now, don't start with the 'I'm sorry' stuff. There's no need."  
  
"Thanks. Good luck, Fox."  
  
Fox nodded and walked towards the arena. Link lingered in his spot as he watched his best friend leave. Words could not express how worried he was for Fox's safety. He was going to fight the two toughest opponents. Indeed, his skill had improved, but he was so light and small compared to them. Link's gut feeling knew that something bad was going to happen. He heard footsteps and turned to see Roy and Zelda.  
  
"Are you okay, Link?" asked Zelda, who must've noticed he was down.  
  
"I'm fine. . . I'm just. . . a little worried about Fox. . ."  
  
"We all are, Link," sighed Roy. "Fox definitely has quite a challenge on his hands, but he's been training a lot, so I think he'll be okay."  
  
"Yeah, don't worry, Link," Zelda put an arm over his shoulder. "Come on, let's go watch the match, shall we?"  
  
Link nodded, but his worried look remained as they walked down the hall.  
  
~*~  
  
In the viewing hall, every single Smasher sat, ready to watch the next match. Link, Zelda, and Roy took a seat between Falco and Marth.  
  
Unfortunately, Falco was the loudest criticizer.  
  
"Geez. . . I can't believe Fox is taking such a stupid chance. . ."  
  
"Oh, hush, Falco." Peach shushed him.  
  
Link tensely waited for the screen to display the battle stats. Finally, they appeared, and the announcer's voice came on.  
  
"Fox vs. Bowser and Ganondorf on the Jungle Japes arena. One stock."  
  
"Oh, great, Jungle Japes is a natural suicide trap. . ."  
  
"Shut up, Falco!" shouted Falcon.  
  
"The match is about to begin!"  
  
The screen flashed to the Jungle Japes arena, where the three fighters materialized into battle.  
  
"Ready. . . GO!"  
  
The two-fighter team of Bowser and Ganondorf advanced toward Fox, but he simply jumped out of the way. The heavy fighters toppled over each other, and Fox lightly landed on the center platform.  
  
"HA! Those two are idiots!" laughed Mario.  
  
"You see? That's one of Fox's great advantages over them- his speed." Stated Link.  
  
"Yeah, well, speed ain't everything, elf boy." countered Falco.  
  
"Oh, shut it."  
  
The team of two grumbled and attempted to fight back. This time they really got into the fray. Fox was able to kick Ganondorf back, but suffered a claw swipe to the chest from Bowser. It wasn't deep, so Fox continued to fight.  
  
"Fox is actually doing very well." said Samus.  
  
"He should just keep evading until they fall off."  
  
"Falco, will you do us all a favor and SHUT UP!?" yelled Marth.  
  
"What!? I was just commenting!"  
  
Link completely ignored everything but the fight. He softly whispered, "Come on, Fox, evade and strike, evade and strike. . ."  
  
Evade and strike. He told Fox to do this in situations where the opponents were large. Pretty soon, Fox took this advice into play. Every time he jumped to evade their approach, they would collapse in a heap. Fox took that moment to strike. Link smiled. If this continued, their damage will get high enough for Fox to KO them for a fair and easy win.  
  
But just because they're big, doesn't mean they're dumb.  
  
They soon caught on to Fox's plan. When he jumped to evade them, they sharply turned and attacked him brutally once he landed. The fighters all looked in shock.  
  
"Hey, that's just not fair!" cried Luigi.  
  
*Two big guys against one small fry isn't fair, but Fox chose to have this battle, so it doesn't matter whether it's fair or not.* confirmed Mewtwo.  
  
"Look! He's ranking up damage!" cried Yoshi.  
  
This was true. As they continued to beat him, Fox's damage went up past 150%. . . past 200%. . .  
  
"Come on, Fox, get outta there!" cried Ness.  
  
"Fox shouldn't have challenged them in the first place. . ." grumbled Falco.  
  
"Oh, would you give it a rest already!?" Link screamed, which scared the hell out of Falco. "Fox is a brave and strong warrior, and YOU of all people shouldn't be criticizing him! Now sit down, shut up, and watch!"  
  
This shocked everyone in the room. Link had never really gotten this angry before. Falco obviously quieted down, grumbling underneath his breath. Link turned his attention back to the screen as if nothing happened, so the others did as well.  
  
Finally, just as it seemed hopeless, Fox performed a Fire Fox, which sent the other two flying. He collapsed on the center platform to catch his breath. He was beaten and bruised, and his damage was up to 237%. The other two? 53% each.  
  
"This isn't even fun to watch. . ." whined Peach.  
  
"It's going to take a miracle for him to win. . ." sighed Young Link.  
  
Link frowned at their negative attitude. But his eyes caught the sight of an item right next to him.  
  
"Come on, Fox, grab it. . . It's right next to you, grab it!"  
  
Fox then pulled his sight up to see a Home Run Bat, laying right next to him. He quickly grabbed it and staggered to his feet. At that time, both of his opponents were coming at him in opposite directions. The scene grew tense, and all eyes were glued to the screen. Finally, just as they were in good distance, Fox swung the bat with all his might. The strength he put into the swing caused him to spin around. Miraculously, it hit both of them. They flew back screaming in the background.  
  
"Game set! This game's winner is. . .FOX!"  
  
The Smashers cheered and whooped and hollered. Fox held his bat in a victory pose as he materialized from the arena and back into the teleporter. The others gathered around to congratulate him, and he ran up to Link and Falco. Falco laughed, got him in a headlock, and gave him a noogie.  
  
"You're awesome, Fox! Sorry about doubting you, man!"  
  
"Not a problem, Falco." He turned to Link, who looked shocked and happy at the same time.  
  
"You did it, Fox!" They both laughed and embraced in a warm hug. "That was simply amazing! I knew you could do it!"  
  
They both smiled while the others cheered. Link was very proud of Fox. He had beaten two of the strongest fighters here. But his happy look melted down when he saw the two creep in behind Fox, ready to strike.  
  
"WATCH OUT, FOX!" Bowser's fist was about to come down on Fox's head, but Link pushed him out of the way. But that put him into position, and the fist came down on Link's skull instead. Fox looked back to see Link groan and collapse, unconscious from the vicious blow to his head. This caught the attention of both Ganondorf and Bowser, and they began to beat on him.  
  
"What the hell. . .!?"  
  
"Get off of him, you monsters!"  
  
The Smashers pulled at them to try and get them off of Link. Finally, the beating ceased. Zelda screamed and rushed to his side. Link was a bloody mess from waist-up, from Ganondorf's brutish punches and Bowser's vicious slashes. There was no sign of him breathing, but he still had a pulse and heartbeat. . .barely.  
  
"Link! Link, can you hear me? Wake up!" Fox almost shouted, extremely worried. But Link wasn't responding.  
  
"SOMEBODY GET HELP, QUICK!!!" Zelda screamed, holding Link's limp and blood-covered body close. C. Falcon and Mewtwo kept a hold of the agitated two and dragged them away. Dr. Mario and Peach (in her white nurse dress) came in with a stretcher. They backed everyone off as they placed Link on the stretcher, lifted him up, and carried him away. Zelda held Fox close and buried her face in his chest, sobbing loudly. Fox watched as they carried him away. He was very worried about Link, but then his worried look turned into a guilty one.  
  
"Link suffered so much, just to protect me. If I wasn't selfish enough to challenge them, this wouldn't have happened. . ."  
  
A/N: Cool, huh? Please don't flame me.  
  
Link: Oh, great, you're gonna make me die, aren't you?  
  
Who said I was? And remember what I said earlier! (walks away)  
  
Link: What'd she say?  
  
Fox: She said not to make any jokes or do anything stupid because this fic was supposed to be serious.  
  
Link: What's the fun in that!?  
  
Fox: Complain to her, not me. Anyway, review. 


	2. The Awful News

A/N: Alright, time for the next chapter.  
  
Link: NO! I DON'T WANNA DIE!!!!  
  
Fox: Oh, cool it. It's just a fanfic.  
  
Link, don't fuss over it, alright?  
  
Link: But am I going to live?  
  
That depends. . . mwahahaha. . .  
  
Link: I'm scared. . .  
  
Fox: Oh, shut up, you guys. Here it is!  
  
That's What Friends Are For: Chapter 2: The Awful News  
  
Three days had passed since Link was sent to the hospital. Ever since the incident, there had been no battles. Everyone was too worried to fight right now. Except for Bowser and Ganondorf, but they were currently being dealt with. The board of executives in charge of SSBM were deliberating on what to do with them. That was a little comforting to the others. At least the two won't be hanging around to pose any kind of threat. But that wasn't the only concern.  
  
"It's been three damn days!" shouted Falco. "I don't see why they can't tell us what's wrong with him!"  
  
They were all talking in the lounge. Some of the more quiet ones were startled by Falco's yelling.  
  
"It's a complicated process, Falco," explained Peach, who had returned to HQ after delivering Link to the hospital. "They have to clean up, take x-rays, all kinds of things. They don't give news until the examining is complete."  
  
"They sure are taking their sweet time. . ." grumbled Falco.  
  
"Well, you'll just have to wait like the rest of us." stated Samus.  
  
That left the room in silence. Roy was definitely concerned for his friend. He looked at the others, one by one.  
  
Mario looked much less cheerful then usual. He was obviously worried about Link, but looked a little angry as well. Back when they were dragging Bowser and Ganondorf out of the building, Roy actually heard Mario grumble dirty words about Bowser under his breath. Roy didn't blame him.  
  
Luigi and Peach were just plain depressed. Their gazes wouldn't reach above floor level. They just sat there, deep in thought.  
  
Yoshi, Ness, Kirby, Popo, Nana, and Mr. Game and Watch sat on the floor huddled in their own little group. The poor little guys were close to tears. Link was the nicest and greatest adult to them. . .  
  
The young Pokemon felt the same way. Link was their playmate (since he was the only one besides Mewtwo who could understand them) and always boosted up their spirits. Now they were depressed, and he wasn't there to comfort them. Roy could only imagine how hard it was for them.  
  
DK, Falcon, Samus, and Mewtwo sat on one side of the room, unreadable expressions on their faces. These guys were never known for expressing their emotions freely, but Roy could tell they were just as troubled as everyone else was.  
  
Zelda sat in her chair, looking terribly bewildered. She eyed the telephone, waiting for it to ring with any kind of news. Young Link leaned on her, looking depressed as well. Words could not express how worried they were.  
  
In the seat next to him, sat Roy's companion, Marth. He sat looking very thoughtful, as if he was trying to figure something out. Probable questions were "Why did this happen?" and "How could it have been prevented?" and especially "What happened to Link?" But Roy could only guess what he was really pondering.  
  
Falco had clearly expressed how he felt. He was impatient to finding out what was going on. But the seat next to him was empty.  
  
Where was Fox?  
  
"Hey, Falco?" Roy finally broke the silence. Falco looked up, slightly startled.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Where's Fox?"  
  
"In his dorm. Doesn't want to be bothered. Said he needed time alone to think."  
  
Roy took in these words and thought deeply. Indeed, Fox had been down for the past few days, but that was natural. Fox and Link were great friends, after all. But why did he need time to think. . .?  
  
Could he possibly feel. . . guilty?  
  
~*~  
  
"Link. . . I'm so sorry. . . You tried to protect me. . . You took a silver bullet for me. . . I owe my life to you. . ."  
  
Fox could not get this feeling of guilt out of him. He laid face down on his pillow, withering in his guilt. If he didn't challenge those bastards, they wouldn't have tried to attack and this would've never happened. He felt worried about Link as well.  
  
"Link. . .You're the greatest friend anyone could ask for. . . Please let you be okay. . ."  
  
Finally, he got up and left his dorm. When he reached the lounge, everyone had gone except for Roy. He looked up at Fox and nodded in greeting. His sad expression didn't change. Fox nodded back, and sat down. There was silence for a moment, then the ringing of the telephone startled both of them. Fox reached over and answered the phone quickly.  
  
"Hello? SSBM HQ."  
  
The voice was soft, so Roy couldn't hear it. He just watched tensely as the discussion went on. Others who heard the phone ring began to enter the room and listened as well.  
  
"Yes. . . What about him?. . . Uh-huh. . ."  
  
His face melted down to a slight scowl.  
  
"Wait, why can't you just tell us. . .?. . . What!?. . . But we can't. . ."  
  
He sighed as if giving in.  
  
"Alright, we'll be there soon. Bye." He hung up.  
  
"Well?" asked Samus.  
  
"They couldn't tell me on the phone for some reason, so we have to go over there to find out his condition."  
  
"Alright, then, everyone get in the limos. . ." ordered Mario.  
  
~*~  
  
They all arrived at the hospital. As they walked into the lobby, some strangers couldn't help but stare. It's not everyday you see the Super Smashers in a place like this. But they ignored the stares and walked up to the front counter.  
  
"Excuse me?" Zelda asked, trying to get the busy lady's attention. "We were told to come here to see Link Gaiden. Which room is he in?"  
  
The lady quickly looked up, stared for a moment, then finally answered her question.  
  
"I don't know. He's been moved to several emergency rooms, so I don't know where he's been put."  
  
"Don't worry, I'll take it from here." An Italian voice said. At first, they thought it was Mario, but quickly knew it was Dr. Mario instead. He stepped out from behind the counter.  
  
"How is he, doc?" asked Marth.  
  
"Follow me." He began to walk down the hall, so the others followed. He suddenly turned back and faced the clerk. "By the way, Link Gaiden is in Room E262."  
  
The lady nodded and fumbled through her papers. They walked down the hall to Room E262. Dr. Mario slowly opened the door. There lay Link in the hospital bed. He was covered with bandages, and was hooked up to a respirator. They all gathered around his bed and looked at him in pity.  
  
"Oh, Link. . ." Zelda sighed, running her fingers through the sleeping Hylian's golden bangs.  
  
"I suppose you all want to know his condition. . ."  
  
Their attention turned to Dr. Mario.  
  
"On a good note, his physical injuries are healing quite quickly. Here are the X-rays from three days ago."  
  
He posted them up on the wall. They all gasped at how messed up they looked.  
  
"As you can see, they seriously broke his left arm, and his ribs are a complete mess."  
  
"Oh my god. . ." sighed DK.  
  
"Damn. . . Those two gave him a lot of damage!" exclaimed Falcon.  
  
"BUT, these are the X-rays we took, oh, I'd say about two hours ago. . ."  
  
He posted more up. These looked much better, and they all sighed in relief.  
  
"We were able to place the bone in his arm back into position, so it's setting right now. His ribs are getting back into place as well."  
  
"But I don't understand," Peach stepped up. "Why hasn't he awaken yet?"  
  
Dr. Mario froze in place. He looked up at the others, who eyed him, patiently waiting for an answer. But how hard would this news hit him? It definitely wasn't good news, but, being the doctor, it was his duty to tell him.  
  
"Well. . . the hard blow to his head combined with the pain of his injuries had really taken a toll on him. . ."  
  
"Meaning. . .?" Fox's voice trembled. He feared the worst.  
  
"Link has. . . . . slipped into a coma."  
  
This definitely hit them hard.  
  
Everyone gasped. Zelda screamed in agony and buried her face in his chest, sobbing loudly. The others cried out in shock, dismay, and disbelieve.  
  
"I'm sorry, but it's the truth. . . I don't know when he'll wake up. . ."  
  
An eerie silence filled the room for several minutes. Finally, someone spoke.  
  
"This is ridiculous. . ." grumbled Falcon.  
  
"Those two have to pay!" cried Young Link.  
  
Suddenly, a cellphone rang. Mario quickly stepped out of the room and answered his. The others listened silently.  
  
"Hello?. . . Yes. . . Please, can it be some other time? We're in the hospital right now and we just found out that Link's in a coma. This is a very difficult time. . . No, we can't. . .(sigh). . . Alright, fine. We'll be there soon." He hung up and reentered.  
  
"What is it?" asked Yoshi.  
  
"That was the board. They said we need to go see them, now."  
  
Most of the others nodded in reply and followed him out the door. But Fox stayed behind, looking at Link in pity, guilt, and sadness. He sat down in the chair next to the bed.  
  
"Link. . . I'm so goddamn sorry. . . This is all my fault. . . If I didn't challenge those jerks, they wouldn't have tried to attack me. . . You wouldn't have had to protect me. . . You wouldn't be here. . . You don't deserve this. . ."  
  
Falco had almost left, but then he heard his leader speak these words. He stopped at the doorway and looked back at him, silent. He went unnoticed by Fox, so he continued.  
  
"I was so selfish, trying to prove myself. . . I should've listened to you earlier. . . I'm sorry. . ."  
  
Fox grasped Link's limp hand and squeezed it gently.  
  
"I know you're strong, Link. . . I know you can pull through. . . Please wake up. . . Please. . ."  
  
He was close to tears. Falco walked up behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Come on, Fox. Let's go."  
  
Fox hesitated, but slipped his hand away from Link's hand. They slowly left the room. Fox softly whispered. . .  
  
"Please pull through, Link. . . Please wake up. . ."  
  
A/N: Ick. . . This is so ooshy gooshy mushy. . .  
  
Link: (sniff) It's not mushy, it's emotional!  
  
Fox: Yeah! (sniff)  
  
I know, I was just kidding. Damn, I never knew I could be so dramatic. . .  
  
Link: It sure touched me. . . (sniff)  
  
Right. Review. 


	3. The Harsh Debate

A/N: Here comes some action! If you like debating, then this chapter's for you!  
  
Link: But do I live?  
  
WILL YOU STOP ASKING!?  
  
Link: Fine! (sulks)  
  
Fox: Anyway, here it comes.  
  
That's What Friends Are For: Chapter 3: The Harsh Debate  
  
"Thanks, doc."  
  
"Anytime, Mario."  
  
"Wait, why do we need the x-rays, Mario?" asked Marth.  
  
"We're gonna persuade them to drop Bowser and Ganondorf if they say no, and they're very hard to persuade. We'll need as much evidence as possible to prove that they're dangerous."  
  
The others nodded as they walked out of the hospital.  
  
"What if they still say no?" asked Ness.  
  
"Then we'll keep going until they give in. We can't let those two stay. They're just too dangerous."  
  
~*~  
  
The Smashers walked into the executive office, where two members of the board sat. They all sat down at the large table. After they all calmed down, the lead executive (a young man) cleared his throat.  
  
"Welcome. I understand how worried you must be about Link, and how much you are angered with Bowser and Ganondorf. . ."  
  
He hesitated to continue. Most of the Smashers already knew they were going to say no, but stayed quiet.  
  
". . . But. . . we can't let them go."  
  
"WHAT!?" they all cried in union.  
  
"There are several reasons why, though. . ."  
  
"There are also several reasons why they SHOULD be let go!" shouted Marth.  
  
"They're very dangerous when agitated, sir," stated Mario, pushing the folder toward them. "These are x-rays from their attack on Link."  
  
The two were a little shocked by the x-rays. Some others smiled. They had this in the bag. Or so they thought.  
  
"Wow, this is serious. . . But this is only when they're agitated, right? Which means they're not this dangerous all the time?" asked the other one, a young woman.  
  
"Yeah, but they're easy to agitate," stated Luigi. "This was caused by only Fox beating them in a match."  
  
"I see. . ." the woman eyed Fox, almost accusingly.  
  
"Well, another reason why the attack was this bad is simple. I mean, Ganondorf and Link are arch-rivals. . ."  
  
"THAT DOESN"T MATTER!" screamed Falco. "They were originally attacking Fox, and Link decided to help him! This has nothing to do with past rivalry!"  
  
The others shouted in agreement.  
  
"They are dangerous to everyone!" exclaimed Peach. "If they'd attack Fox, they'd attack anyone!"  
  
The shouts almost became cheers.  
  
"Link is in the hospital and in a coma because of those two!" yelled Roy, half angry, half upset. "If they're bad enough to make someone suffer like that, they should be removed from the tournament!"  
  
They all were cheering now.  
  
"Please, all of you, calm down!" the woman said. Finally, they sat back down.  
  
"Your reasons are very understandable, but we can't. Think of what the public will think when we let two people go. . ."  
  
"WHAT!?" They all screamed. It sounded like all they cared about was their publicity. Finally, Fox had had enough. He stood up in his chair with a vicious scowl on his face.  
  
"Are you saying you don't care about us?" he growled.  
  
"Well, I. . ."  
  
Fox walked around the table, never pulling his gaze from the lead executive. "Do you not have consideration for our safety, or do you only care about your own jobs!?"  
  
All eyes were one Fox. If looks could kill. . .  
  
"Two dangerous fighters beat up on another fighter for no reason. Now he's in the hospital in a coma. Now, if that's not a good excuse to exclude them, then I don't know what is!"  
  
The others began to encourage him, cheering a little. Fox walked to the other side of the room until he stood right in front of the lead executive.  
  
"Now, tell me. Is that a good excuse?"  
  
"Well, yes, but. . ."  
  
"THEN WHY HAVEN'T YOU GOTTEN RID OF THEM YET!?" Fox screamed right in his face.  
  
The others roared with cheering.  
  
"You have to get rid of them! If the public complains, well, TOO FRICKEN BAD!!"  
  
Louder cheering.  
  
"A person's life was nearly lost because of them, and he's still fighting for it as we speak! Take just one moment out of your so-called 'busy' schedule to think about how hard it is for him right now, and how scared we all are for his safety!"  
  
Even louder cheering.  
  
"You have to let them go if you want all of us to stay! We aren't staying here if it's too dangerous! If you're not letting them go, you're letting us go!"  
  
The cheering was as loud as it could possibly be. Fox was finally finished, and sat back down. Falco patted him on the back and Zelda smiled in appreciation. The two executives were a little intimidated by the speech, so they gave in.  
  
"Alright, we'll exclude them forever from SSBM."  
  
The Smashers whooped and hollered. They all gathered around Fox and cheered. Thanks to him, they won. Bowser and Ganondorf were gone for good.  
  
Fox never felt this good since he defeated Andross.  
  
A/N: Aw, yeah! What a kickass debate!  
  
Fox: You bet!  
  
Link: Don't mind them. They're obsessed with Speech and Debate.  
  
Well, so are you, Link.  
  
Link: I know! KICKASS!!!!  
  
Oh, and you'll find out whether Link is okay or not in the next and last chapter.  
  
Both: YAY!  
  
Review, please. 


	4. The Miracle and the Truth

A/N: Here it comes: The final chapter!  
  
Link: YAY!!! FINALLY!!  
  
Fox: Here it comes! WOOHOO!!  
  
That's What Friends Are For: Chapter 4: The Miracle and the Truth  
  
Fox, Zelda, Falco, and Roy stepped into the hospital. They knew it had only been two hours since they were here last, but they had to check on Link. They were just too worried. Without even asking the clerk, they rushed down the hallway into his room. Dr. Mario sat by the bed, then pulled his attention up when he heard the door open.  
  
"Hey, you guys were here just a few hours ago!"  
  
"It's only us four." Said Roy.  
  
"Oh. Okay."  
  
"Excuse me, I have a question. . . Can people in comas hear you if you talk to them?" asked Zelda.  
  
"I'm not sure," Dr. Mario answered. "I've never dealt with people in comas before. If you want to try talking to him, then I'll leave and give you guys some privacy. . ." He got up and left.  
  
They sat down in the chairs. Zelda held a tight grip on Link's hand as she softly spoke to him.  
  
"Link?. . . Can you hear me? It's Zelda. . ."  
  
". . . And Roy."  
  
". . . And Falco."  
  
". . . And. . . Fox. . ."  
  
"We're just here to check up on you. . . See how you're doing. . ."  
  
"And we have some news!" exclaimed Roy. "Bowser and Ganondorf are gone! The board mad them leave!"  
  
"It took a lotta work to persuade them. But Fox yelled right in their faces! It was awesome!" laughed Falco, nudging the blushing Fox.  
  
"That's right," said Zelda softly. "Now you don't have to worry about those two anymore. . ."  
  
Suddenly, Link whispered, ". . . I still have to deal with Ganondorf when we get back to Hyrule. . ."  
  
The four were shocked to hear him speak. They looked at him. He opened his eyes halfway and smiled.  
  
"Link! YOU'RE AWAKE!!!" cried Zelda. She wrapped her arms around him and cried tears of happiness. The others cried out in joy as well.  
  
"HEY, DOC!" Falco called out. "HE WOKE UP!"  
  
Dr. Mario slammed the door open. "He did!? Hey, that's great!"  
  
The six of them rejoiced for a moment. Then Dr. Mario dragged some of them out of the room to discuss what to do. Only Fox was left with Link. They smiled at each other.  
  
"It's. . . great to see you awake, Link."  
  
Link slowly nodded. "It's good to see you, too."  
  
"What was that? I can't hear you. Are you okay?"  
  
"I'm fine. I just can't project my voice because of this stupid respirator. . ."  
  
They both lightly laughed.  
  
"I guess this isn't a good time to talk, then, huh?"  
  
"No, not really. I'll be back at HQ soon. We'll talk then."  
  
"Okay."  
  
"Come on, Fox, we gotta go," said Falco. "We'll see him soon."  
  
Fox nodded and waved goodbye to Link. Link slowly waved back.  
  
~*~  
  
The four walked back into HQ, large smiles on their faces. It didn't take long in the lobby for everyone to realize that something was up.  
  
"How is he?" asked Luigi.  
  
Zelda's face beamed. "Link's awake. He'll be here soon!"  
  
Everyone cheered like crazy with joy for the next ten minutes. They were so happy to hear that he was okay.  
  
"So, when is he coming?" asked Young Link, excited.  
  
"I don't know," answered Roy. "It'll probably take. . ."  
  
". . . No time at all."  
  
They all turned to the doorway to see Link standing there, smiling. He still had a few bandages and his left arm was in a sling, but he looked alive and well. Everyone rushed up to him and cheered in joy for his safe return. They bombarded him with several questions at a time, and he tried his best to answer them all.  
  
"I'm fine. . . The sling will come off in three days. . . No, they've healed. . . They said no fighting for at least a week. . .No, that's fine, I'll live. . ."  
  
Finally, among the mob of Smashers, he made eye contact with Fox. Fox gave him a signal to step out. Link had to find some excuse to get some privacy with Fox, so he made one up.  
  
"Ooh. . . I don't feel so good. . ." he moaned and held his head in strain.  
  
Fox seemed to understand, so he quickly stepped in and grabbed Link's shoulders to "support" him.  
  
"You don't look so good, Link," Fox sounded very serious, but both knew he was only acting. "I think you need some rest."  
  
Link nodded, trying to look as sickly as possible.  
  
Apparently, it had the others fooled. They gathered around, concerned.  
  
"Are you okay, Link?" Zelda hastily asked.  
  
"He's fine, he just needs some rest. He only woke from his coma a half-hour ago." Stated Fox.  
  
"We'll help you out, Link!" exclaimed Peach.  
  
"No, it's okay, I got him," Fox pulled him away from Peach's grasp. "I'll take him to his dorm."  
  
He quickly dragged Link out of the lobby. Link tried his best to look weak by limping with his every step. As they left, they could hear the kids whining about not being able to see him for long, but the adults quickly scolded them. They slowly went down the hall out of sight from the others.  
  
". . . Is the coast clear?" whispered Link.  
  
Fox looked back. "Yeah."  
  
"Good." He straightened up and they walked down the hall normally.  
  
"Good call, Link."  
  
"Hey, I'm used to escaping crowds. It was easy."  
  
"Ah. . . Say, Link?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Did you actually hear everything we said to you while you were in your coma?"  
  
Link gave a lopsided smile.  
  
"You did!? No way!"  
  
"I'm dead serious."  
  
"But I heard most people forget everything after they wake up."  
  
"Well, I guess I'm just special, huh?"  
  
Fox laughed and lightly nudged him. They stepped into Link's dorm and locked the door behind them. They quietly sat on the bed and looked at each other, wordless. Finally, Fox decided to start.  
  
"So, you, uh, heard the little. . . monologue I gave, huh?"  
  
Link nodded, his face unreadable at first, but then he smiled. "You don't have to be sorry, Fox. . ."  
  
"Of course I do! If I didn't fight them, none of this would've ever happened!"  
  
"Fox, you and I both know that no one saw that coming. None of this is your fault."  
  
"But. . . I owe my life to you. . ."  
  
"No, it's more like I owed my life to you and returned the favor."  
  
"Wha??" Fox shot him a confused look.  
  
"I didn't tell you!? With Onett and the car crash and. . ."  
  
Fox shook his head. Link gazed at the ground in a frustrated manner.  
  
"Dammit. . . I'm so stupid. . . I can't believe I didn't tell you. . ."  
  
"Now, wait, don't beat yourself up about it. Just tell me."  
  
Link's gaze went up slightly as he began telling the story.  
  
". . . It was about a month ago. . . It was a free-for-all match on Onett between you, me, and two others, I don't remember who. We were against each other, but it was only a practice battle, so it didn't matter much. . . Well, the systems went haywire and cars started coming at about ten times their normal speed. Very dangerous. Well, me being the stupid one, I ran down there-I think it was to grab an item-not even thinking about the cars. One was coming toward me, and I didn't see it. But you did. So you jumped down, grabbed me, threw me up, and took the crash yourself. You had a concussion, so you didn't remember anything about the fight. Thankfully, you didn't lose anymore of your memory. . ."  
  
Fox looked at him unbelievably. "You're kidding."  
  
"No, and as a matter of fact. . ." Link got up and fumbled around in his closet. He brought out an old newspaper and handed it to Fox. ". . . the incident was put in the news."  
  
Fox looked at the picture first. A bloody figure was being carried on a stretcher. Link stood right by him looking terribly worried. Behind them was an extremely wrecked car. The headline read. . .  
  
Super Smasher Fox McCloud Hit by Out-of-Control Car  
  
Fox was shocked beyond belief. Was that. . .really him on the stretcher?  
  
Then he remembered that time he was in the hospital for seemingly no reason.  
  
So that's why. . .  
  
Link nodded, as if reading his mind. "See? It's true. And look on page seven," He helped flip the pages. "Those are your x-rays."  
  
"Oh. . . my. . . god. . ." The x-rays looked absolutely horrific. Were those. . . his?"  
  
"See, if you could survive that, you could've handled Bowser and Ganondorf, right?"  
  
They both lightly laughed, but not for long. Fox looked up at Link, who sadly averted his eyes away.  
  
"If anyone should be sorry, it's me. I should've told you earlier. I just didn't want to traumatize you. The others decided to keep it a secret, but deep down, I knew that I owed my life to you."  
  
Fox just stared at him. "So, this was just. . ."  
  
". . . a way to repay you." Link finished, slowly turning back to him. "Of course, even if that never happened, I still would've helped you."  
  
"Well, then I'd owe you, huh?"  
  
They both laughed for a moment, then went quiet again.  
  
"I. . . can't believe I would do that. . ." sighed Fox.  
  
"Well, you did. And everyone saw you do it. They called it an act of bravery."  
  
"More like an act of stupidity. . ."  
  
"Well, whether it was an act of bravery or stupidity, one thing is certain-you were looking out for me. And I was, too. That's what friends are for, right?"  
  
"Right. . .That's what. . . friends are for."  
  
They looked at each other and smiled. They finally embraced in a warm, friendly hug.  
  
"Welcome back, Link." Fox choked back his tears, but some fell.  
  
"Thanks, Fox." A few tears fell down Link's cheek as well.  
  
The two friends were finally reunited.  
  
THE END  
  
A/N: YAY! HAPPY ENDING!!!  
  
Link: YAY! I'M AWAKE NOW!!!  
  
Fox: YAY! IT WASN'T REALLY MY FAULT AFTER ALL!!!  
  
All Three: YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
Cool! I'm done! Okay, now I need some help. I started writing SSL III, but I have the writer's block. .  
  
Fox: WRITER'S BLOCK SUCKS!!!  
  
I know. I was hoping you readers out there could help me with some ideas.  
  
Link: That's right, people! Give her reviews! Do it for. . . uh. . . your pleasure!  
  
Right. . .(sweatdrops) You guys are complete weirdoes.  
  
Both: We know.  
  
I figured as much. Well, you heard my request! REVIEW!!!!!!! 


End file.
